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Laptop manufacturers have been working hard sorting out the kinks when it comes to 3D effects in the past two years. Select models were equipped with 3D technology.IBM ThinkPad T60 Akku , Acer brought the Aspire 5745DG (10/2010) to the table, Asus made an appearance with the G51J 3D (12/2009). HP threw the Envy 17-1190eg in the ring—although it has been rather hard to find for sale. Today, Dell (XPS 17, Alienware M17x R3) IBM ThinkPad R60 Akku ,and Asus (G73SW) have also made their way onto the 3D market.

Not every 3D laptop was a success regarding its 3D effect.IBM ThinkPad X60 Akku , Acer's attempt in 2009 with the Aspire 5738DG had the right price tag of around 800 Euro to it but was doomed to failure because of its premature 3D effect (polarization glasses, dimming). The other models mentioned above were equipped with Nvidia 3D Vision, IBM ThinkPad X60s Akku ,which fixed many of the weak points—the techology grew to become well-established (although still producing a dimmed picture most of the time). Akku HP 396008-001 ,

Now Sony is stepping onto already well-tested terrain, Akku HP 403808-001 ,using the virtually standard Nvidia Vision 3D technology. The Vaio VPC-F21Z1E/BI Akku HP EF419A ,claims to bring the 3D Blu-Ray and 3D gaming experience to the living room. But is the price of around 1,950 Euro for the entire package justified?

The bulky look of the 16" F21 strays far from the design of 2009 and 2010 Vaio models. Akku HP EG417AA ,The cylinder look for the display lid hinges is no more, Akku HP HSTNN-DB20 ,the power button once again finds itself above the keyboard. The design takes on a strange appearance Akku HP HSTNN-IB20 ,when looking at the notebook from the side, the display lid seems to sit slightly askew atop the bulky, wedge-shaped base unit.Akku HP HSTNN-OB20 ,

Beauty and grace are not quite the words to describe this 3.17 Kg colossus.Akku HP 113955-001 , Power and sturdiness make for a better description.Akku HP 294038-182 , This is especially true when it comes to the base unit, which is stiff as a board. Only beneath the DVD drive did we manage to press the case in significantly.Akku HP 319411-001 , The display lid—on the other hand—is disappointing: its surface lends itself to effortless denting (upon pressure, temporary). Grabbing the display lid at the corners with two hands, it can easily be warped. Akku HP 319411-001N ,The low-mounted display lid makes a stylish impression, but its bottom edge comes within millimeters of hitting the table when open. Akku HP 361742-001 ,The result: when shifting around the laptop, the edge constantly scratches against the surface that the laptop sits on.

We can't quite understand why Sony has gone against the trend of using matte case surfaces and chosen the glossy smeared finger-grease look. We won't get into much of an explanation of the resulting problems, Akku HP 371785-001 ,suffice it to say that the glossy border around the keyboard and the around the palm rest is not exactly practical. Akku HP 371786-001 ,These surfaces are scratch-prone and illuminate rather than hide fingerprint marks and smears. The matte, Akku HP 372114-001 ,plastic palm rest does serve to improve the situation, however, minimizing contact with the surrounding glossy surface.

The Sony Vaio F21 has a good amount ports but not quite enough to be called extensive. Akku HP 372114-002 ,Traditional ports like eSATA and ExpressCard34 are no longer on board. Akku HP 383615-001 ,This might frustrate more demanding users who can no longer use their eSATA external hard drives nor use them by attaching the appropriate ExpressCard controller.Akku HP 916-2150 , The FireWire port remains,Akku HP 916-2160 , allowing for camcorders or combination eSATA/FireWire external HDD solutions to be connected.

The placement of ports could not be worse.Akku HP 916-2310 , Having all the ports shifted toward the front can hinder placement of an external mouse. Those having to deal with thick, unwieldy VGA, Akku HP BLP1199 ,HDMI, Ethernet or USB cables will sobbingly wonder why these ports weren't relegated to the back.Akku HP DB946A , Particularly thick cables like VGA and HDMI really could have benefited from placement at the back of the laptop. Akku HP F4098A ,The card reader (SD and HG Duo) is found along the front edge, as is typical of Vaio laptops. Akku HP F4809-60901 ,Here you'll also find a switch that (de)activates the wifi card—useful in some situations.

The Wifi comes courtesy of Atheros and is of the highest current standard: Akku HP F4809A ,Draft-N (AR9287). A Bluetooth module is built in to the wifi card and supports the newest 3.0+HS standard. Akku HP F4812A ,The Realtek Ethernet adapter can send and receive data by the gigabit.

No recover discs are included, only a quick start,Akku HP HSTNN-DB13 , recovery and service guide. The task of burning a recovery disc is placed squarely on your shoulders (via Vaio Assist). Akku HP HSTNN-IB13 ,The hard drive is littered with countless Vaio tools and programs. Experienced users will want to get rid of most of these. Included is, Akku HP HSTNN-Q09C ,of course, the 3D shutter glasses, TDG-BR100 (identical to those used with the Bravia 3D TV).Akku HP 436426-311 ,

Sony gives the Vaio F21 24-month bring-in warranty.Akku Lenovo Thinkpad R61i Series, As is typical of Sony, this warranty consists of a 1-year base warranty plus a 1-year additional warranty.Akku Lenovo Thinkpad T400,In some cases, buyers must register in order to be ensured the full 24 months of coverage.

The Nvidia 3D concept based on the principle of stereoscopy is nothing new, Akku Lenovo Thinkpad T400,so check out the Article discussing Nvidia 3D Vision for an in-depth analysis of its pros and cons.Akku Lenovo Thinkpad T410, The shutter glasses alternately darken one len, making each half-picture visible only to the one eye (using an IR emitter in the display frame). Akku Lenovo Thinkpad T61,A (minimum) 120-Hz display is necessary (each half-picture refreshing at 60 Hz), Akku Lenovo Thinkpad T61p Series,which is why 3D Vision doesn't always work with any Nvidia notebook by just attaching a USB transmitter.Akku Lenovo Thinkpad T61u Series, Sony bumps it up a notch to 240/200 Hertz (@1080p, High Frame Rate-Technology). Akku Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet PC,

Using 3D vision is simple, Akku Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet PC,all the 3D settings are already active and can be changed via the Vaio Control Center. Those wanting more control over the 3D effect can also adjust the 3D depth here. All that's left is to start the game (or particular benchmarks for that matter).Akku Lenovo 3000 Y300 Series, For viewing pictures, however, you do need the 3D Vision Photo Viewer (stereo files like jps, pns). Akku Lenovo 3000 Y310 Series,The Corel Win DVD/Blu-Ray player (Stereoscopic Player) can play ordinary DVDs and Blu-Ray discs in 3D.Akku Lenovo 3000 Y310a Series, If using Windows Media Player instead, the 3D effect is greatly reduced.

How long the battery in the shutter glasses (3V coin battery) keeps going we can't say.Akku LENOVO 3000 Y410a Series, Glasses with a charger, like those coming with the Acer Aspire 5745DG, would be more convenient. Until now, the big problem with 3D Vision was the reduced picture brightness. Akku LENOVO 3000 Y410 Series,Sony seems to have brushed that concern aside, the reduction in brightness is now marginal. On top of that, Akku LENOVO 3000 G410 Series,the screen has a high maximum brightness of 289 cd/m², which can be turned up if need be.

The shutter glasses fit over other glasses—there's plenty of room inside. Akku LENOVO 3000 G400 Series,For children, the hinges can be locked in place at a smaller angle so that the glasses fit well.

Sony has equipped the Vaio F21 with a very good keyboard.Akku Lenovo 3000 C200, The layout and other characteristics are identical to the keyboards of the less expensive Vaio EB series.Akku Lenovo 3000 N100, Only the rubber coating is new—making the keys slip-proof and keeping them from looking like greasy bacon strips after a few months (prevents the plastic from becoming "polished").Akku Lenovo 3000 N200,

The room for the keyboard is well used, the arrow keys are separated with lots of space.Akku Lenovo 3000 V100, All the keys are actually arched inward slightly (for better typing accuracy), although its hard to see.Akku Lenovo 3000 V200, The keystrokes are firm across the board and their pressure point is easy-to-feel. The keys have a backlight and are clearly labeled with easy-to-read white typeface.Akku Lenovo IdeaPad U330, The brightness sensor can automatically adjust the backlight brightness to suit the time of day or brightness of the room. The backlight can even remain off with enough ambient light—when set to do so.Akku Lenovo IdeaPad U330A,

The 3D button above the keyboard turns the IR emitter for the shutter glasses on or off. Akku Lenovo IdeaPad V350,The button does not glow in the dark, Akku Lenovo IdeaPad V430a,so we had to first turn on the lights before watching a film or playing a game in addition to pressing the Assist or Vaio button next to it.

The touchpad lies even with the raised palm rest.Akku Lenovo IdeaPad V450a, It's easy to feel out in the dark thanks to its textured surface. The roughness of the surface does take some getting used to, however. You can right and left click using a rocker-style single key. The single touchpad button has a moderate depression depth to it. It clicks firmly but quietly,Akku Lenovo IdeaPad Y430, leaving an overall good impression.

The full-HD display is pretty good in all its aspects but not quite state of the artAkku Lenovo IdeaPad Y430g, (colors space, contrast). The Vaio F21 has resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (WUXGA). Akku Lenovo 3000 G230 Series,The screen is therefore really well suited for watching HD films (Blu-Ray burner). The high resolution paired with the good contrast ratio of 396:1, not to mention the non-reflective coating, makes this display particularly convenient for office work. Akku Lenovo 3000 G230G,The black value of 0.72 cd/m² is by far not the best we've seen, however (the smaller, the better).Akku Lenovo 3000 G430, When watching Blu-Ray films, the corners of the screen were not jet black by a long shot. Akku Lenovo 3000 G430A,The greatest strong point of the display is its wide range of viewing angles.Akku Lenovo 3000 G430M,

Upon investigation, we found the screen has a broad color space.Akku Lenovo 3000 G430L, sRGB (t) is completely covered, but not all of AdobeRGB. The comparably good full-HD consumer display in the Vaio EB4X can't quite render as many colors. The Vaio Z13Z9E premium-grade subnotebook can display an even wider range of colors,Akku Lenovo ,though.